The Administrative Core (Core A) will provide overall scientific leadership and governance for the CFAR. It will provide overall administration and coordination of all CFAR Cores, SWGs and activities, and will orchestrate communication among CFAR stakeholders (including CFAR faculty, community members, external and internal advisory boards, NIAID program staff, and UR institutional leadership). During our funding cycle as a Developmental CFAR (D-CFAR), this Core has developed an innovative approach to building multidisciplinary research collaborations (scientific speed dating). It has also conducted strategic planning that has addressed investigator needs, improved core services, created a new institutional partnership to enhance drug discovery research, and identified research opportunities that have resulted in new funding for young faculty. The Core will be responsible for: (1) setting policies and procedures for the CFAR; (2) providing transparent financial management and ensuring regulatory compliance; (3) overseeing all CFAR Cores, SWGs and activities; determining scientific priorities and resource allocation (including pilot awards); (4) organizing and coordinating key CFAR committees and advisory boards, as well as the annual CFAR retreat and NIH site visit; (5) maintaining open lines of communication between CFAR members, other stakeholders, and CFAR leadership; (6) ensuring that the CFAR is highly visible on campus, and has a voice in UR research policy and recruitment; (7) conducting regular, inclusive, strategic planning sessions that inform CFAR decision-making; (8) promoting internal and external research partnerships that result in new multidisciplinary collaborations; (9) ensuring that the CFAR effectively leverages unique research strengths at UR, thereby creating a distinctive scientific identity for itself; and (10) conducting innovative, rigorous programmatic evaluation that results in effective decision-making - leading to improved services and enhanced outcomes.